Business Adviser

Why You Should Talk: 3 Good Reasons to Reconnect 

As a business owner, it’s easy to lean on email and social media to do the heavy lifting when it comes to communication. Quick. Efficient. Tidy. But it’s also very easy to hide behind a screen. And when it comes to building real connections, that can be a problem.  Over the years, I’ve seen so […]

Retail or Not, Every Business Needs a Contingency Plan

Let’s face it – running a business means rolling with the punches. But what happens when it’s more than just a slow day or a last-minute staff call-in? What if your systems go down, a supplier lets you down, or you’re suddenly locked out of your own premises?  If you’re in retail, you already know […]

Tariffs, Trade Wars, and UK Business: What You Need to Know Now

If you’re running a business right now, particularly in manufacturing, automotive, or consumer goods, you’ll be fully aware of the headlines. Donald Trump is back on the political scene in the US, and with him comes sweeping new tariffs on imports.  Even though these changes are happening thousands of miles away, they could have a […]

Navigating External Influences and Internal Controls: A Guide for SMEs 

Running a business isn’t for the faint-hearted. One minute, you’re riding high on a wave of customer orders, and the next, you’re hit by something completely out of your control. Whether it’s political shifts, supply chain headaches, or a sudden change in customer habits, it’s enough to keep any business owner on their toes. But […]

How to Measure Staff Productivity in the Services Sector 

Many of my clients, particularly in the service sector, have been facing a significant challenge: measuring staff productivity and output to ensure their teams are being utilised effectively. This issue has become even more pressing since the rise of remote working during the pandemic. The shift to work-from-home setups has made it harder to monitor […]

What Is My Business Worth? A Practical Guide for SME Owners 

For many business owners, the question, “What is my business worth?” crops up frequently. It’s a natural query, but it’s often surprising how few SME owners have a clear answer. Compare it to knowing the value of your car or home—you likely have a solid figure in mind for those. However, when it comes to […]

Business Exit Planning: A Crucial Step for Business Owners

Ever wondered what life after your business might look like?  It’s a question many entrepreneurs grapple with. Whether you’re eyeing retirement, considering family succession, or exploring a sale, a well-crafted exit plan is essential. Having been in the trenches of business ownership and consulting for years, I’ve seen firsthand the importance of exit planning ahead. […]

How to Make Your Business Attractive to Buyers 

After successfully guiding one of my clients through preparing their business for acquisition, right through to the actual sale that happened in the last few days, got me thinking. If I were looking to get my business acquisition-ready, what would I like to know to help with the process? So, I thought I’d share a brief overview to help guide you in building value in your business and making it attractive to potential buyers.

Thinking Business Acquisition?

For years I’ve been helping companies navigate the exciting, and sometimes complex, world of business acquisitions. Recently, I had the pleasure of guiding a client all the way through the process, from preparation to a successful sale that just finalised. This experience got me thinking: if I were on the selling side, what initial knowledge would be most valuable? 

Turning Exhaustion into Business Renewal 

As a business consultant, I often find myself at the intersection of ambition and reality. For example, recently two distinct businesses approached me with a common predicament – their owners wanted to sell up and move on. Overwhelmed with exhaustion, the businesses had become all-encompassing. The daily grind had consumed the owners lives leaving them with little time for life’s pleasures. They were ready for a change, and that’s where my journey with them began.

5 ways to stay ahead of industry trends and changing markets

As a business owner, I understand first-hand the intricacies of company operations, with challenges ranging from fierce competition to evolving customer needs and technology. To thrive, it’s crucial for businesses to navigate these challenges effectively. In this blog, I share strategies employed in my own venture and my clients, offering insights to help you stay ahead of industry trends and effortlessly adapt to market shifts. I hope you find these strategies valuable.

The Power of Customer-Centric Operations

One key strategy which we find significantly contributes to the growth of our SME clients’ is embracing customer-centric operations. At the heart of any business, customers have a substantial influence and aligning operations with their needs is the secret for sustained success.

In this article I will be taking a closer look at what this means, offering tips to help you integrate this into your processes.

Choosing the Right Exit Strategy for Your Business

As an entrepreneur, I have poured my heart and soul into building my businesses. However, there comes a point in every entrepreneur’s journey when thoughts of transitioning away from the business arise, something I have helping numerous of my clients navigate.

Navigating Earn-Outs in SME Businesses

As someone who works closely with many SME business owners, I have experience first-hand the challenges they face through their business journeys. One that has cropped up recently, which I thought would be useful to share, is negotiating the challenges of business earn-outs.

Don’t Let Business Acquisition Offers Distract You

As a business owner, I know first-hand the irresistible allure of a business acquisition offers. It’s an incredible feeling to receive recognition for the hard work, dedication, and countless hours you’ve poured into building your company. The prospect of selling your business and reaping the rewards can be incredibly enticing. However, it’s crucial to approach these offers with a discerning eye and carefully evaluate their true value. Let me explain…

How Technology can Enhance SME Contingency Plans

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, SMEs business owners face many challenges that can disrupt their operations including natural disasters and supply chain disruptions to cyber threats and economic downturns. To lessen the impact of such disruptions and ensure business continuity, as an SME business owner you need robust contingency plans. And in an increasingly digital world, technology plays a pivotal role in enhancing these plans.

Supporting SMEs in the Face of Skills Shortages

When it comes to talent acquisition and skills shortages, we’re all aware of the challenges SMEs face at the moment, and this can have a significant impact on their growth potential. But what can you do about it? This articles explains more.

How to use customer feedback to improve your SME business

As an owner of a small / medium-sized business, it is essential to understand the value customer feedback brings. It can help you understand their needs and preferences, identify areas of improvement, and ultimately increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. So, for this reason, I thought it would be useful to explore this further along with ways you can use it to improve your SME business.

Strategies for scaling your business for long-term success

As a small business owner, you are always looking for ways to grow and expand your business. Scaling your business for long-term success can be challenging, but it is essential for sustained profitability and competitiveness in the market. To help guide your thinking, have a read of these strategies I collated together below. They could help you scale your SME business for long-term success.

Tips for managing cash flow and staying financially healthy

Starting and running a business can be a challenging endeavour, especially when it comes to managing cash flow – something I come across time and again with my clients. Cash flow management is one of the critical aspects of any business, and it becomes even more crucial when growing an SME. Let me explain more…

Independent vs Franchised Consultancy Business 

Starting your own consultancy business can be a daunting task, with many challenges and uncertainties to navigate. While some people prefer the freedom and flexibility of going it alone, others may find the support and structure of a franchised consultancy business a better option. But which is the best for you?

Running a Consultancy Business  

A consultancy business can be an exciting and rewarding venture, but it’s not without its challenges. Whether you’re just starting out or have been in business for a while, there are a few things you should expect, a range of skills you’ll need to bring to the table, and different types of businesses you can work with. Within this article, I am going to explore this in more detail to help you gain a clearer understanding of exactly who and what it could entail.

Why Engage External Business Support 

Small and medium-sized businesses form the backbone of most economies around the world. They contribute significantly to employment, innovation, and economic growth. However, starting and growing a business can be a challenging endeavor, and many business owners find it difficult to manage all aspects of their business. This is where external business support comes in.  

In this blog, I will explore the benefits of external business support for SME owners, what to expect, the business challenges they can help with, and how to find a good business adviser.

The Ins and Outs of Growing a Business 

Scaling up your business can be a daunting task, and many businesses fail to achieve sustainable growth. In this blog, I will explore the challenges of growth in SME businesses, the stages involved in growing a business, and how to implement business growth to encourage successful growth year on year.

New Business Ownership – My plans for taking CMC forward 

Since buying CMC in August, the last few months have been spent consolidating the business position and looking to create a solid platform for growth – something many of my clients want too! Which made me think, ‘if I share my journey, it could help other business owners’. So, I’ve decided to create a series of posts with tips and insight. This being the first…

Eight Aspects to Increase Business Value

It’s not just about a multiple of your earnings (EBITDA)…….

Many business owners just focus on the ‘numbers’ in terms of Turnover and a multiple of Earnings (3 to 6+ times) when trying to get an indicative value for their business.  However, there is so much more that should be taken into account when valuing their business.  This is especially the case when preparing for a business sale and looking to increase business value. 

How can CMC Business Advisers help sell your business?

CMC Business Advisers can sell your business successfully. We’ll help you plan your exit, build value to increase your business worth, and find a buyer. This video explains more.

Why should every business owner have an exit strategy?

Are you planning to leave or sell you business in the next few years? If so, this video explains how to maximise your return.

Realise the Full Value of your Business with Exit Planning

Are you thinking of leaving your business within the next few years? Do you have an exit plan in place to ensure a smooth transition and rewarding outcome? This blog highlights some key pointers to help guide you through the process.

Easing out of lockdown – 3 good reasons you should pick up the phone:

Is social media or email your main approach to communication right now? If so, you could be missing the mark. Now is not the time to hide behind your screen, instead you should be picking up the phone to your employees, customers and suppliers. Here’s why.

Are you ready for life after COVID-19?

Are you thinking that life and business will go back to what is was a few months ago once this pandemic passes?  Are you just waiting for the ‘all clear’? Or are you preparing for a ‘new normal? Are you ready for life after COVID-19? Some short and sharp lessons that we, as small business […]

The white-knuckle ride of controlling rapid growth

When a small business goes through a period of rapid growth, it can be feel like it is out of control and unless handled well can lead to serious problems.  It can deter you from taking your business to the next level. The five cornerstones to manage when growing your business are: Money Financing the […]

Too busy operating your business to even think about growing your business?

Growing your business? When talking to owners of established small and medium sized businesses, I have found one issue to be remarkably common: Owner-managers having to focus on the day to day running of the business to such an extent that thinking about managing and growing your business is neglected. Why is this problem so prevalent? The recent economic […]

Are you approaching employing people in the right way?

Thinking about employing people? One of the most difficult steps in starting up and growing a small business is the taking-on of employees.  Just thinking about who to take on and recruit can seem very daunting, after all they are going to be working with you for the ‘duration’, you will want to trust them, […]

Ten ways to ensure your family business does not implode from family matters

There are plenty of advantages to family businesses. They tend to be financially conservative by nature, and focus on slow and steady growth; they are capable of reacting quickly and making prompt decisions as well as having the advantage of a long term perspective. However there are pitfalls, and if not addressed could end up […]

A Family Affair: Ensuring Successful Succession

A Family Affair – Hand Over Amongst the most significant challenges in the lifetime of any business is when the baton is passed from the current leader to their successor. Succession naturally comes with complications and an inevitable, but hopefully temporary, sense of instability for all parties.  Employees, current management, previous management, buyers, suppliers and […]

EU Referendum – Managing Overseas Customer’s Expectations

EU Referendum – Working with Overseas Customers We’re in the final week before the referendum on whether or not Britain will remain a member of the European Union and the result is still far from predictable. Some of my clients have reported that their overseas customers are understandably concerned, hesitating to place orders and expressing […]

Working Capital – why is it so important?

Working Capital – what is it? Working capital is essentially the cash (liquidity) that you will need to run the business. It is important to understand as it is the life-blood of the company, particularly during the start-up phase; and during a [rapid] growth phase of the business, as more liquidity is likely to be […]

Have you got a Shareholder’s Agreement?

Have you got a Shareholder’s Agreement? One of the important questions I ask at the first meeting with a new client, assuming that there is more than one shareholder, is if they have a Shareholder’s Agreement.  Over the past year I have seen too many disagreements arise, where had there been a shareholders agreement been […]

What would happen to your business if you become seriously ill?

Could your business cope if you are seriously ill? Have you ever thought what would happen to your business if, for whatever reason, you were forced to be absent through being seriously ill for a period of time? The consequences of a long term absence can be alarming, especially for those who have a: small ‘life-style’ businesses […]

Progressing your business growth programme to success

There are some very good government programmes in place for helping small businesses to grow, however, if not followed through properly; they can leave the business owner(s) with a list of things to do without fully understanding how to do them or even, after a while, wondering if they are still relevant. We have recently […]